Note: The M2 .50 caliber machine
gun is still standard issue today. Mr.
Browning's magnificent weapon may see its 100th
birthday, still on active duty.
The .50 caliber machine gun is
primarily an anti-vehicular weapon. Its weight, and
the weight of its ammunition, make it unsuitable
for mobile infantry use. However, in semi-fixed
positions such as the MLR in Korea, or mounted
on vehicles in file, as in the withdrawal from
Chosin, the weapon is magnificent. Its great range
and striking power make it deadly in enfilade
against troops staging for assault. Again, these
capabilities make it ideal for quick reaction
against machine gun and mortar positions on heights
overlooking road communications.
Against massed infantry attack over
ground with relatively constant slope, as against
the Chinese human wave assaults on our MLR such as
at Vegas, the M2 is a truly terrible force. For
mobile patrol deployment, mounted on light
vehicles, it is equally effective.
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